Australia's whaling challenge gets court date

Sea Shepherd footage shows Japanese whalers with the carcass of a minke whale which was allegedly killed in Australia's territory in February.

YouTube: Sea Shepherd

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has set dates for the hearing of Australia's case against Japan over its whaling program.

Three weeks in late June and early July have been set aside by the court in The Hague in the Netherlands to hear Australia's claim that Japan is in breach of the international convention on whaling.

New Zealand has intervened in the case to lend weight to the Australian argument.

"The International Court of Justice ... will hold public hearings in the case concerning whaling in the Antarctic, Australia versus Japan, from Wednesday 26 June," the ICJ said in a statement on Thursday.

Australia's lawyers will argue the case on the opening day, followed a week later by Japan, on July 2.

A ruling in the matter however, may not be handed down for several months.

"Australia will now have its day in court to establish, once and for all, that Japan's whaling hunt is not for scientific purposes and is against international law," Mr Dreyfus said in a statement.

"Australia wants this slaughter to end."

Australia took Japan to court in May 2010 alleging that "Japan's continued pursuit" of a large-scale whaling hunt put the Asian nation in breach of international conventions and its obligation to preserve "marine mammals and the marine environment".